The future Vivekananda first drew breath when the air above the sacred river not
far from the house was reverberating with the prayers, worship, and religious
music of thousands of Hindu men and women. Before Vivekananda was born, his
mother, like many other pious Hindu mothers, had observed religious vows,
fasted, and prayed so that she might be blessed with a son who would do honour
to the family. Swami Vivekananda, the great soul loved and revered in East and
West alike as the rejuvenator of Hinduism in India and the preacher of its
eternal truths abroad.